Last year, holiday online shopping spend hit an all-time record and experts predict that by the end of this year, U.S. retail ecommerce sales will total more than $304 billion. And by 2016, the average online spend per consumer is expected to be $1,738. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some of that Web sales windfall come your way?
You’re not alone. Retailers that have both a physical store and an online presence report a 23% increase in sales on average. Yet, a recent survey shows that 40% of merchants still aren’t satisfied that their websites have met their revenue generation potential.
So what will it take to get customers to come to your site, stay and shop? A great experience, that’s what. Customers want their online sales to be as informed, pleasant and instantly-gratifying as their in-store experiences. And since they can’t feel the luxury of a cashmere sweater on your smartphone, your site better appeal to all their other senses and sensibilities with fast page loads, dynamic content, crisp images, real-time inventory, online reviews, competitive pricing—and last, but certainly not least—fast, accurate check out.
The biggest reasons shoppers abandon carts is unexpected costs at check out. This includes shipping but also sales tax. If you aren’t able to deliver an accurate number at the close of the transaction, you risk your customers walking away. Automating sales tax in your cart or ecommerce systems assures hassle-free check-out for customers so they’ll never be surprised (and neither will the auditor).
Still need convincing that your web store can benefit your bottom line? Check out our
Trending Now: Ecommerce infographic for further proof that online is where is it’s at.
This blog post was presented by Matthew Grattan, Director of Ecommerce atAvalara.